Money advice

It was six weeks before my wedding, and I was preparing a spreadsheet that listed all my assets for the prenuptial agreement my fiancé and I had agreed to sign. (It was his second marriage and my first.) I carefully listed each account: the two...

There is an enemy amongst us, my friends. Its name? Revolving Debt. You might know it by other names: Plastic fantastic, Charge! or “passport to debt slavery.” Whatever you call it, credit card debt has the power to take over your personal...

Forget about losing that last 10 pounds. Want to really make a difference in your life? Start saving 10 percent of your income. As New Year’s Resolutions go, this one isn’t all that different than the ever-popular “I will fit into my skinny...

I vividly remember being in my kitchen a couple years ago and having to decide between two bills to pay: our mortgage or day care. My husband has recently gotten laid off for the second time in four years, and in the meantime, we had doubled our...

As a financial advisor, I have occasionally found myself feeling envious of certain clients. Not because of their wealth — but because they were disciplined and determined enough to do all the right things that enabled them to accumulate their...

After years of moving in and out of apartments, my husband and I were confident that we were ready to take the next step and become homeowners. So we started looking for houses — the way we looked for apartments. How big were the closets? Would...

Everything can be had for a price — and more often than you’d think, it’s less than what the price tag says. You probably expect to haggle a bit when purchasing a car or a garage sale item, but did you know it’s possible to keep more of your...

As a financial advisor, working with clients is often a lesson in psychology. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the same old excuses for why people aren’t saving more money or saving at all. The truth is that these excuses are just...